A typical California day. No idea why they want to leave for this crap. Seriously, WTF?

Local couple Geoff Hatchard and Jaime Fearer announced today that they are leaving Trinidad, DC for California. From their blog post:

I’m going to keep this one short for now, and not bury the lede. We’re moving to California soon.

Jaime and I have lived in DC for a decade, it’s our home, and there’s no doubt we love it like crazy. We spent weeks agonizing over what it would mean to leave behind the friends we’ve made and communities we’ve connected with here. In the end, I was offered a career opportunity that’s far too exciting to pass up, so we’re going to take the plunge and see what life is like in the Bay Area.

We promise we’ll both have more to say on the blog and in other places in the coming weeks. The entire thing has brought forth a flood of thoughts that we need to write down and share.

Geoff and Jaime have been awesomely dedicated neighbors, and we’re sad to see them go. When we receive more details, we’ll provide an update.

A year after opening, Taylor Charles Steak & Ice, the Philly-style cheesesteak concept from the guys at Taylor Gourmet, appears to be closed for renovations. The front windows are papered over, and the following building permit is posted on the front door:

“INTERIOR ALTERATION AND REPAIR TO EXISTING RESTAURANT AS PER PLANS. NO USE OR LOAD CHANGE.”

We’ve heard the place will be re-branded into a new concept, and should be back open in a little while and still serve cheesesteaks.

That’s right—we can’t do this without you and the support of the community! At our January meeting, on Tuesday, January 28, 2014, TNA will hold an election for a new Board of Directors. To vote, and/or to be eligible for the Board, you simply need to be a current TNA member, and that’s just $5 per year.

The Trinidad Neighborhood Association is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is elected among the membership. Any member in good standing may be nominated and, if elected, serve as a member of the Board of Directors for a term of one year. You can read a copy of our current bylaws, revised and adopted on February 20, 2013.

Members of the Board of Directors are responsible for the general governance of TNA. Additionally, Board members serve an advisory function toward the aim of developing a long-range strategic plan as well as annual goals and targets for TNA. Some board members may serve as Officers. Officers of TNA are elected among the members Board of Directors.

So be sure to become a member and attend our upcoming meeting—we’ve got some great ideas in store for 2014! And don’t forget to share this information with your friends and neighbors.

While making the rounds in southeast DC today, Santa was shot by a pellet gun. The incident, which was captured by cameras from WJLA Channel 7, shows a jolly Kris Kringle walking down the street, then bending over & wincing in pain, while the cameraman keeps rolling and repeatedly asks, “Want me to call 911?”

Santa was transported to a local hospital, but no word on how this incident will affect his rounds tonight. He was in the neighborhood for a local toy drive.

Over the weekend, an alert citizen called police about a suspicious person, leading MPD to nab a person suspected of stealing packages on the eastern side of Capitol Hill. From MPD:

Today First District Officers responded to a report of a suspicious person suspected of stealing packages in the area of 11th & Constitution Ave NE. Officers canvassed the area and later located a subject at 11th & PA Ave SE, who matched the description of the suspicious person. When the Officers contacted the person, they recovered a package and contents, which appeared to be a gift for a child. There was no address label found, so we cannot yet identify the owner of the package. The package/gift is apparently a gift from the child’s grandparents. If anyone in the community learns of a theft of a package that is similar to this, please email me directly at daniel.hickson@dc.gov.

Great lesson- if you see something odd, you can always call 911. Great work, MPD!

]]>http://www.titanoftrinidad.com/2013/12/mpd-catches-suspected-package-thief-in-the-act/feed/1When MPD wouldn’t, the Internet helped get a stolen phone back from an MPD-registered security officerhttp://www.titanoftrinidad.com/2013/12/when-mpd-wouldnt-the-internet-helped-get-a-stolen-phone-back/
http://www.titanoftrinidad.com/2013/12/when-mpd-wouldnt-the-internet-helped-get-a-stolen-phone-back/#commentsMon, 23 Dec 2013 14:15:40 +0000http://www.titanoftrinidad.com/?p=48561[…]]]>Last month, a man named James going by the handle “jimball2112″ on the popular website Reddit posted a story of his wife’s phone getting stolen while in DC for the Susan G. Komen 3-day event. Fortunately, the phone was set to sync all photos with an online service, which captured several photos from the phone after it was stolen. Jame posted a set including these photos, which seem to show a green leafy substance and a person wearing a secuirty officer uniform and wearing a DC-registered security officer badge issued by Metropolitan Police Department’s Security Officer Management Branch:

After seeing the incriminating photos, the phone’s owner tried to get police to investigate, but MPD officers reportedly wouldn’t respond:

We have opened a Police Report with DC Metro, but cannot get anyone to call or respond to the issue. I have figured out the person’s name and place of employment as well based on the Name Badge, Patches in other photos. Please could someone help me get my wife’s phone back.

I spent several days going back and forth with the owner it was determined that she was in fact in possession of Stolen Property, lost her Security Professional Certification (whatever that is), and was released from employment.

I have the phone in my hands now, and was compensated for my time and trouble from the Security company.

The DC security company seems to have taken responsibility for their employee’s actions, got the phone back for the rightful owner, and sent James a check for $500:

James adds that he didn’t press charges:

We did not press charges; she lost her job and certification….that was enough for me.

Due to a large influx of animals, we are waiving all adoption fees through Chrismas Eve. As the open access shelter in DC we will never turn an animal away for any reason, but we are desperately running out of space.

Sadly, this time of year is often a time when more animals are brought to WHS as families look for housing options for pets during winter vacations, or because they can’t afford the costs of their care.

If you, or someone you know is considering adoption, stop by and visit our animals. As always, all adopters are vetted through our adoption questionnaire and interview process, and all WHS pets go home spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. There is a $15 dog license fee for dog adopters living in DC.

Once the weather turned too chilly, local beer garden Bardo had to close temporarily. But, they’ve just announced they’ll be open this weekend thanks to a good weather forecast. And, as an added bonus, they’re showing Bad Santa on Saturday night.

From Bardo:

BARDO WILL OPEN this Friday at 5pm and saturday at 12 noon due to gorgeous weather. Come on by and check out our progress on the inside. Sat night we will be showing Bad Santa on the big screen.

Last night, there was a shooting in the area near 16th and Queen Street NE. Two victims were sent to the hospital; according to neighbor reports to us, one victim was loaded at the gas station across from Denny’s and the other near Holbrook and Oates St NE.

The Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth Police District requests your assistance in providing information concerning a shooting that occurred last evening, Wednesday, December 18,2013, at approximately 9:32 PM in the 1500 block of Queen Street, NE, in our Trinidad Community.

While on 16th Street, NE, a group of three men were congregating when gunshots rang out from the North Alley of the 1500 block of Queen Street, NE and two of those three adult males realized that they had been shot. Calls were placed into 9-1-1 and Fifth Police District Units responded to assist and begin the preliminary investigation into this criminal act.

Both victims were transported to local area hospitals for treatment of their wounds.

We have worked extremely hard this year in reducing crime and the fear of crime in Trinidad. You have stepped up and supported us every step of the way and our collective efforts have made a positive difference. But, as last night reminded us of, we still have work to do. We will not let the reckless and dangerous acts of a very few endanger this community as a whole.

Based upon this event, we are committed to increasing our visibility and bringing forth stability and pro active strategies to reduce, with a goal of eliminating, the criminal element within our community.

We ask that you help us to help you. Continue to be our eyes and ears on this criminal matter and any other matters that erode the safety and security we have built together. If you see something, say something. Call 9-1-1 with anything and everything you feel we need to know, need to intervene on, no matter how small or inconsequential it may seem.

We feel strongly that with your assistance we can close this shooting. Be an active listener, ask questions and seek out information that can bring these criminals to justice.